The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-17

like here as one candle is like anotherl Didn't
]. in the fulness of NV heart. invite her lover,
Phil Bently down TO the island to keep you
countsnancel If you saw any love-making you
must have stumbled upon private performance
of Aurora and Phil pretty mess you have
made of it in mistaking Ro for Yes, making a
martyr Of yourself for nothing. and running
away from Yes as if she were Chicago bomb
thrower But declare the farce is enough to
send oneito the asylum"
And then he held on his sides again and gave
way to his merriment once more, while Fred
sunk into chair. hung his Inundated head and
perspired at every pore.
Mr.. Welland.-will yo1-answer one-ques-
toni" Fred spoke as if his voice had string
tied around it.
Welland saw that, after ALL he was the worst
sufferer in the case and he began to pity his dis
tress
..l'll answer the whole Westminster Catechism,
Fred, ii you won't look white. It's all right.
tell you, if things have got mixed up There's
lots of fun to como out of it yet, If we can only
manage to get back to the island alive. Now go
ahead with your catechism"
Does this Aurora. you call her. talk like
Vesper? Are the tones of her voice just the
same2'
AS Predmore recalled the similarity OF the
voice it seemed almost impossible for him to
have been mistaken.
why, man, their voices are as like the
voices Of two canaries; thew are altogether too
much alike in everything. I declare that wish
one was Hottentot and the other a FIJI islander.
If this is specimen of the bother they are going
to give me in their love affairs, [ shall hence
forth abJure twins forever"
AS the full absurdity of the mistake dawned
upon Predmore he rose from his chair and ex-
tending his hand, said;
Mr. Welland, you can shake hands with me
in token of forgiveness. or you can kick me by
way of punishment. l really don't see how
could have avoided making the mistake under
the circumstances. and yet 1 deserve punish
ment for allowing myself to doubt Vsspers
fidelity for even a moment"
Heres my hand with all my heart, said We'll
land, land I'll save my boots for fishing excur
sions with you It was case of seeing and be-
lievug but it clearly proves, nevertheless, that
it isn't always safe to believe what you see."
But what am l to do,' asked Fred, as he
thought of what was before him in the way of
explanations.
"Wby, the first thing for us to do is to get
something to eat, for am as hungry as bear.
now that have lost my savage disposition: and
the next thing for US to do is to take the morn
ing boat back to the island and straighten nat
:ers out but l believe I shall have to take
private detective with me to see that you four
don't get mixed up again. But it serves me
right; ought to have given you written
tifcate of Auroras existence and of her engage
ment to Phil Bently when was in Chicago"
During the evening the two had merry time
their cigars as Fred related in full his ap-
pearance before the astonished couple the
shore, and the appearance of the servant girl as
he left the cottage.
IL WAS well lor LHeIu tnat tney were Ignorant
of what occurred at the island after their de-
parture.
There were about dozen cottages on the ISL
and. with population of thirty. more less.
Blissfuly ignorant of Predmore's arrival and
departure. Mrs. Welland was spending the morn.
ing hours at the cottage of intimate friend.
After the departure of Mr.. Welland. Vesper sat
alone. agitated and overcome The mex
piicable conduct of her lover SO preyed
upon her that she fell in dead swoon upon the
floor. Happening to enter the room. the servant
saw her lying in heap, and at once concluded
that the strange man had returned and muir
dered her. She didn't see him leave the island.
nor was she aware of the fact that Mr.. Welland
had gone down the river on the tug she having
left the room before he had declared his inten-
tions.
Horrihed, and believing that she would be the
next victim, she fed the cottage and ran to the
place where Mrs Welland was, and appalled, her
with the statement that Vesper had been MUIR
dered. scene of terror followed. The mother
sped to her dwelling, followed by her
friends On their way they met an old man
and a young lad Learning from one of the
party the state of affairs at the Welland COTTAGE
the man armed himself with an axe, aud dis
patched the boy to alarm the rest OF the island
telling him to get them to hunt for the murderer
at once, SO that in an incredibly short space of
time the few mon that were about had armed
themselves with every available weapon and
formed themselves into vigilance committee.
Meanwhile, Vesper had recovered from her
swoon. and was her bedroom bathing her
face, when, hearing an uproar in the parlor, she
entered it. only to be seized and embraced by
her mother and surrounded by EXPLANATIONS
from the lips of six women, who by this time
had entered the house Courageously backing
them all was the man with the axe, looking
ready to do execution upon somebody. The
servant girl looked on. pale and speeches.
Mid all the confusion, one thing was plain,
Vesper was alive and unframed. The company
resolved itself into miniature Babel of tongues.
but in the nature of the case explanations were
impossible and Vesper listened and looked on
| in helpless alnazement
As II this were not enough, complications
| crowded upon them from another quarter.
| After the interruption on the shore. Phil and
| Aurora retired to the uplands and seated them
| selves under the protecting branches of cump
! of frs. Notwithstanding the shock they had re-
| ceived. they had somehow managed to drift back
| into the stream of loves municipalities, and
| were gliding along with a smoothness ecstatic,
| when footsteps were heard in the near vicinity.
| Believing that they were pursued by the angry
| stranger Bently rose and advanced to the edge
of the copse, where he was confronted by two
| men, who. with guns at present, loudly de-
| mandec his instant surrender. Before Bently
| could recover from the speechlessness caused by
| this challenge. Aurora, alarmed by what she
| had overheard. came to the front also. and cecog
! nizng one of the gentlemen sharply demanded
the cause of his strange conduct
Confused by the sudden appearance of the
girl. and stung by her manner and words, the
man forgot all prudence and hastily informed
her that her sister had been murdered, and tina,
they we're searching for the murderer, and sup
| posed that they had found him when they saw
| the young man spring up from the bushes.
With curdiing shrek of despair, Aurora fell
fainting into the arms of Phil Bently.
just as matters were quieting down at the
| cottage. the three men bearing the insensible
form of Aurora came up the winding walk thai
| led to the cottage door.
The man with the axe having discovered q
part of the farccal features of events in the
house, was ref1ectively retracing his steps to his
own quarters. A sudden turn in the patti
brought him into the presence of the SECOND
tableau Before he had time to determine wha
| this might mean, the gentleman who had chal
lenged Phil Bently to surrender caught sight O
the axe. and now sure that he had before hin
the real murderer, seized him by the collar
The haste of his action resulted il
the dropping of his gun, which exploded as i
| fell. The conclusion brought Aurora to hel
senses. and the women in the cottage to the doc
at the same time Confused by the sound of tn,
gun and the actions of those about her. Auror;
| began to make desperate efforts to escape, ant
was in the agony of her struggles as her mothe
| and Vesper rushed down the walk. The VIC
| lence of her struggles together with those of thu
old and his captor convinced them tina
something dreadful had taken place, and Their